Mitsubishi Driving Day – How we keep our kids happy in the car.

It’s a by-product of living ‘in the country’ and it’s something my kids got used to at a very young age, which is lucky because we also like to go on ‘driving days’ to check out new places and old favourites.

During the last school holidays we got to drive around in a fancy Mitsubishi Pajero for a week.

The kids fell in love with the in-roof DVD player, mostly because it remembered where you were up to in the movie even if you turned the car off! Magical!

I was a tad enamored with the reversing camera in the rear view mirror! If my Big White Bus had one of those I might even attempt to reverse park it… maybe.

It was a lovely car to drive, and we had loads of fun visiting Hanging Rock and Woodend with the film crew to make these videos. Though I think at least one of my girls got sick of doing the same thing over and over again for the camera and has decided she doesn’t want to be a movie star!

Check us out…

But just because our kids are used to the car, that doesn’t mean we don’t try and make it a little less boring when we go on longer trips.

Five Ways to Keep Kids Occupied on Car Trips.

Modified Eye Spy
Because my middle boy isn’t reading yet, we play a modified version of eye spy using colours instead of letters, and with a little hint added in too. “Eye spy with my little eye… something that is blue and inside the car!”

Modified 20 Questions
We also play a modified version of 20 questions so that everyone has a chance to join in and guess. You still get 20 questions but you have to pick something that we have in our house. Our categories are usually – toys, food, and other things.

Custom Play List
We’ve put together our own special music play list. It includes music that all of us like, or at least can put up with, as well as the occasional audio book. Even I quite enjoy listening to The Wind in the Willows.

Activity Pack
For longer trips I pack everyone an activity pack. They usually include a couple of books each, something to draw with and on (for the toddler that is a magnadoodle), and some drawing/writing activities for the older kids.

Everyone really likes doing mazes at the moment. Krazy Dad has a great selection of printable mazes that come in easy, intermediate, challenging, tough and super tough versions.

For a quick easy way to store the activities we put them (and some snacks and a water bottle) in a shopping bag and put it over the seat in front. Easy to reach and easy to take in and out as needed.

Movies
We aren’t lucky enough to have an inbuilt DVD player in The Big White Bus so we only put in our portable one for long trips. On short trips we can keep busy playing games, singing, chatting, or looking out the window, but on longer trips I find a movie is awesome.

What’s your favourite ‘driving day’ place to visit and how do you keep your kids happily entertained on the way?

{Disclosure: this is a paid post sponsored by Nuffnang. We got to drive around in a Mitsubishi Pajero for a week as part of the compensation. Opinions expressed in this post are purely my own, and those of my children.}

Read the comments or scroll down to add your own:

Woot! I’d be happy with a Mitsubishi Pajero for a week, hell forever actually. My family are finally getting into camping and I’m sure one of those beasts would come in handy. One day I’ll have to dough!

We had a beautiful green pajero before Ivy and Noah came into our lives. It was my most favourite car I have ever had and when the biggies have their own car, I am hoping to get another. For now, it’s the crazy bus for us. Looks like a great day, kate – nice to see you on there too.

Great post Kate. Gotta love a Mitsubishi to get you to all the right places. :) x

Jensays

My main memory of Hanging Rock is a year 8 school trip where we thought we were being terribly original by disappearing behind rocks calling out ‘Miranda, Miranda’ pretty much constantly the entire afternoon. Our poor teachers!

We live in the inner city and only need to use our car for grocery shopping or when it is raining etc. As a result, my kids have ZERO tolerance for long (or even relatively short) car trips. Recently I took my 6 year old to visit a school friend who lives another part of town – a trip that took exactly 16 minutes (15 of which consisted of constant complaining, request for snacks, threats of imminent death due to boredom etc). When we got there he asked his friend’s mother why, given that they lived so far away, his friend didn’t do school of the air!

katefsays

ha ha ha ha…. it would blow your boy’s mind to know that we live about 10 minutes drive (and that is 10 minutes mostly at 100kms!) from school and about 15 from our closest major supermarket… and we regularly drive 30 minutes to see good friends and a little over an hour to the grandparents….

Though we used to live in inner Melbourne and never drove anywhere…. so it is all relative, all good, just different!

A random question, you seem quite comfortable carrying your son in the backpack up the hill, we are looking at getting one for taking our baby bushwalking, what brand is yours?

katefsays

I usa a ‘soft structured carrier’… The one in the video is a Beco carrier which I bought from a US web site, mostly because it was pretty! But it’s very much like an Ergo baby carrier which is available here both online and in some retail shops I think.

I’ve carried my last two babes in it and I love it. It’s really comfortable, light weight and easy to use. You can wear them on the front or back, and I’ve been able to carry my boys till they were quite big and heavy. The only draw back is that when my boy wants to get out he pulls my hair! LOL

Thanks so much for replying Kate! I’ll look for a Beco brand or get an Ergo if I can’t find a Beco.

lol at your son pulling your hair to get down. I’m sure my daughter will do that too!
(Thanks for your monthly menu planner too, I’ve been using it for the last 4 months, I take a photo of it with my iphone too, so if I’m out and I’ve forgotten to defrost something I can check if I need to think about changing meals around etc)

That was wonderful Kate. I am so glad I had time to watch both videos. It was fantastic seeing you and your gorgeous family in the ‘for real’. The camera crew did such a lovely job with the videos. Memories you are all bound to treasure forever. ?

Oh, I just loved that! The videos were so well done and it was so great to see you all “in person” Love that car? Love this post! haha
Perhaps you’ll have to save your pennies and get one yourself. When my current 4WD decides to kark it, I might just have to have a look at one of those bad boys… love the reversible camera as well. I need one! :D

Home » Mitsubishi Driving Day – How we keep our kids happy in the car.